Nearly 50 years ago I began combining my original calling as a journalist with that of marine design. It's been a great ride since then with more than 60 boats off the drawing board and into the waters of the world, and with tens of thousands of words written, mostly about the sport of sailboat racing. From the creation of the Laser in 1969 - 70 to the introduction of the PIXEL in late 2004, great satisfaction has come not so much from the boats themselves as from knowing the people who sail them - so many races, so many stories, so many friends.